Prepare Surrounding Area

Remove all items from in front of the fireplace, moving back any furniture as much as possible. Cover furniture and other dust-sensitive items in the room with an old sheet as chimney sweeping will create a very fine airborne dust.

Lay Tarpaulin

Roll back any rugs and lay down a tarpaulin or heavy floor covering in front of the fireplace.

Remove Grate & Clean Fireplace

Note: do not operate an open flame in the area during chimney cleaning, as the dust is potentially flammable. Wearing your dust mask and protective gloves and eyewear, remove the surrounds and grate from the fireplace. Taking care not to breathe in soot or creosote dust, shovel out any ash or debris from the fireplace.

Inspect Chimney

Use a torch to look up the flue. If there is a damper fitted to your flue, you will need to ensure it is open; use the damper handle to push the flap back and lock it open. Check for any animals or birds that may have taken up residence. Inspect for any cracks or missing firebricks and take remedial steps if damage is found. The lining of your flue is important to prevent gas or smoke escaping. Check the thickness of any creosote build-up using a blade or scraper; if it is more than 3mm thick, it is definitely time for a clean. Look for any “glazed” creosote deposits further up the flue; these are particularly flammable once ignited. If the creosote layer is very thick and hard you may need to hire a professional chimney sweep who will have specialist equipment.

Select Chimney Brush

Determine the size and shape of the flue. It should be either square or round, 6 inch or 8 inch. Determine the height of the chimney. If you’re guessing it is better to overestimate, so you have more than enough rods to allow the chimney brush to reach the entire length of the chimney. Choose the correct size chimney brush and attach it to one rod. Push the rod up the flue until the bottom end of the rod is in the middle of the fireplace.

Set Up Dust Control

This step is optional but highly recommended. Use masking tape to attach a dust sheet or cardboard to the fireplace surround. Seal it all around except for the bottom edge which you should roll up and weigh down to make a seal. Cut a 6 inch slot in the dust sheet with a scissors for the end of the rod to come through.

Add More Rods & Start Scrubbing

Through the hole in the dust sheet or cardboard, attach another rod to lengthen your chimney brush. To prevent rods unscrewing and become lost in the chimney, use a slight clockwise movement as you push, and never twist the brush anti-clockwise. With a hard and vigorous thrust, scrub the flue with the brush, adding more rods as you proceed up the flue.

Withdraw Brush & Remove Soot

You will know you have reached the top of the chimney when you feel a sudden reduction in friction and effort. Withdraw the brush unscrewing one rod at a time. As you unscrew the last rod, let the brush fall into the soot pile that now lies at the bottom of the fireplace. Lift the bottom of the dust sheet or cardboard covering, remove the brush and carefully shovel the pile of soot into a metal bucket.

Vacuum & Finish

An ash vacuum will make the clean-up easier. Reassemble the grate and surrounds, and shake out sheets or coverings outside. Soot can be disposed of by burial, as although it is flammable it is non-toxic and environmentally friendly. Hard deposits of creosote are corrosive and more toxic, however they can be buried too. Any edible plants in your garden will not absorb creosote, and when you eat the fruit or vegetables they produce, they will not contain the chemicals present in creosote.

Looking for a Chimney Typhoon Powerbrush kit now that you’ve learned How to Clean a Chimney?

The post How to Clean a Chimney Using a Chimney Sweep Kit appeared first on MCD Home and Garden.

Please check through the list before light your stove again. One thing we must say, ensure your stove is cold before you do any Stove Preparation checks. If you’re reading this at the end of winter, make sure to leave a couple of your vents open. This helps to prevent any build up of moisture in the stove and prevents rusting.

Examing the Stove Exterior

Always ensure that the stove is cold before you inspect it as part of the general maintenance. Be weary of rust, it can cause problems, especially on cast iron stoves. To remove it , simply scrub away rust with a wire brush or steel wool, and Once dried touch up with heat resistant paint or use black grate polish to restore the exterior.

Also you must ensure to inspect the flue pipe for any gaps where fire cement may be missing. As the stove burns and temperature rises the flue pipe expands and contracts, it isn’t unusual for the fire cement to breal up. Should this happen to you, don’t worry. It can be fixed using the Vitcas Fire Cement

Vermiculite Boards or Skamolex Panels

Vermiculte or sometimes known as Skamolex helps to protect the internal sides of your stove, and its surroundings, from high temperatures. It is really important to replace any broken or missing pieces of immediately. Without these iin place it can lead to overheating the stove. Which will wear it out, and if nearby objects or surrounds get too hot it can cause a dangerous situation.

Missing pieces of brick can even cause the stove itself to crack. A crack in a brick is not such an immediate problem as the body of the stove will still be protected.

Now we have got it clear on stove preparation, let’s see what cleaning materials we can use for getting our stove winter ready. We stock a wide variety of Stove Cleaning products check them out below!

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We know that buying a stove can be a tough task, As we have laid out in our other blogs! We have five quick terms that we always hear being mentioned in our store. So here are five things to look for when buying a stove. Don’t worry if you haven’t heard of them, we explain all you need to know!

Airwash

An air-wash system, allows air into the fire from overhead where it warms up and then washes down into the heart of the fire on a deep bed of ash.

Clean Burn

Clean (tertiary) burn is a further advance — this takes the otherwise wasted hydrocarbons in the smoke and combusts them with an extra inlet of clean air. This not only increases the heat coming from that valuable fuel, but cleans the smoke leaving your stove. Washes of air also keep the stove glass cleaner — a useful bonus.

External Air Supply

The external air supply system allows the air to come from outside of the building. This is required for air tight houses. 

CE Mark

The CE Mark is a symbol of EU Products. The manufacturer places the symbol on the product to declare that it has met the European Union Standards for Health, Safety and Environmental Protection.

Warranty

It is important to note how many years warranty is available with the stove you plan on purchasing. Most stove producers will guarantee their stoves for 5 years. 

Now we have discussed all there is to know about stoves, including how to reduce energy costs, wood stoves and fuel types. You’re starting to become a bit of an expert yourself. You know what to look for when buying a stove

If you still need some advice on the type of stove to fit your home, contact us and talk to one of our stove experts.

Have you seen the range of Heritage Stoves available at MCD Home and Garden?

With all the trust marks above on each Heritage Stove, We are sure that they will suit your home!

The post What to look for when buying a stove appeared first on MCD Home and Garden.

Solid Fuel

While solid fuel may seem to be the obvious fuel type choice over wood or pellet, however it is not as efficient. Coal burns extremely hot, almost over 1000 Degrees. As a result of this, coal burns quicker, Thus being more costly. 

Ireland is continually adding more legislation on the sale of solid fuel sources. In early 2021, Bord na Móna announced that it will end peat harvesting signalling a change in the way we eat our homes. As part of the Carbon Neutrality plan for 2050 Ireland has been making way for greener sources of energy. So it may be time to ditch solid fuel sources for your stove and check for some good wood logs/

Wood logs

These are an excellent source of fuel, but it must be noted that not all wood burns the same. Hardwood (Oak, Ash or beech) will give up to 1.5x more kWs per unit of heat than softwood. It’s important that the fire burns hot, heating the flue and keeping it clean. The less wood you need, the less time you will spend chopping and storing afterall. 

Moisture content of wood is very important when buying your fuel. Although this may not be as easy to identify as it seems, it is of vital importance. Freshly cut logs or ‘green wood’ usually have water content of 60-80%. To reduce this we need to season the logs. This is done by storing them in a cool, dry well aired area after they have been split. 

For the best fire with the smallest carbon footprint, the moisture content would ideally be below 20%. Whether you season your own wood, or buy it pre-seasoned, the moisture content is the most important factor to note. To be confident you are burning the best wood, you can use a moisture meter.  This measures the water content of your wood logs.  They are small, relatively cheap, and widely available at hardware stores.

Wood pellets & Briquettes

Wood pellets and briquettes are made from compressed sawdust that has been collected from the manufacturing process of other materials like tables, chairs and wood cabinets. These are compressed into pellets to increase the density of the sawdust. Pellets and Briquettes are a more sustainable option for your fuel source. Stoves require less fuel as the wood pellets produce a lot of heat. 

Wood Briquettes and Pellets are relatively cheap compared to logs and solid fuels. Supplied in 15kg sacks, they retail between €7 – €8. This would heat the average irish house for more than 5 days. If the forests from which the wood comes are managed sustainably, the carbon balance of pellet combustion is zero. This is because the amount of carbon emitted during combustion is the same as the amount of carbon absorbed by the tree during its growth.

This is an important factor to note as Ireland moves towards its goal of net carbon neutrality.

Electric

When you think of a stove for your home, rarely do people think about an electric stove. That thought process will change with some of the new electric stove fires on the market. Electric Fires are almost maintenance free, other fuel type stoves require yearly cleaning and check ups. The installation process is much cleaner and cheaper, since there is no chimney they can be installed in any home or room. Giving the warmest of glow in an instant. 

Having no chimney, electric stove fires produce no pollution. Neither do they lose any efficiency from loss of heat to the outdoors. Generally their 2 outputs are 1 Kw, or 2 Kw and electricity is roughly 20c/KWH so they are very cheap to run, and give instant heat opposed to wood or solid fuel. 

What not to fuel your stove with

Waste Wood

It’s natural for people to want to save on their fuel costs. This leads many people to collecting wood that may otherwise be recycled like, cabinets, pallets and chairs. It is very harmful to burn treated timber, varnished wood or painted items. These pieces of waste wood tend to be chemically heavy. Air, inside and out can become poisonous after the burning of these materials. 

Burning waste wood increases the build up of tar and deposits in your chimney which means more regular cleaning, or risking chimney fires. The money that will be saved in the short term will affect your stove in the long term. 

Household Rubbish

Like waste wood, household rubbish can contain similar toxins and chemicals. These can have a negative effect on your air quality at home. Burning rubbish may seem convenient when you’re relaxing in front of the stove with snacks, but over time it effects both your health and your stove.

Some of our favourite stoves

The post What fuel type is best to burn in a stove appeared first on MCD Home and Garden.

A guide through all of our best selling stove types. From Solid Fuel to Electric, read our guide on finding the right burner to fit your home.

Winter is coming… That time of year where everybody thinks ‘how can I reduce my heating costs’. Look no further, an MCD Multi Fuel Burner can help reduce heating costs over the year. In fact, the net fuel cost for a multi fuel burner is lower than coal, heating oil or natural gas. A controllable burner is the economical & contemporary take on a traditional open flame fire. Containing the heat and directing it to where you need it, be that out into the room or into a back boiler too, for central heating radiators.

I know you’re wondering ‘what style would suit my home?’. So I have written a guide on all of the types available on the market from wood burning stoves to inset electric fires. 

The style of stoves

Insert Stoves

Cassette Stoves

Boiler Stoves

Free Standing Stoves

Pellet Stoves

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